Purple Boxes and Portobello West

This is my table at Portobello West on Sunday May 30th. The purple boxes are new and I can say that I am super pleased with how they ended up looking. I finally found a way to add some colour to my display. Which it was definitely lacking before!

The over all day went really well. There wasn't a whole lot of people coming in but there was a steady stream right up until 5:00 or so. I am not doing any more shows this year until October or November. I think that it is to much of a hassle to do the out side shows that usually happen in the summer. You have to think of the elements like wind, rain and sun then modify your display to work with all that. Plus the scorching hot weather! I would rather just focus on my Etsy shop and getting my jewellery into local shops during the summer. What is everyone planning on doing for the summer? Will you do shows or focus on something else?

What Length?

Find the leaf necklace in the picture above here>>

It's time for a poll! The question for this poll is... "How do you like to wear your necklaces most?". You can vote on this poll on the top right hand side of my blog. --->

I started this poll because I always seem to get asked at shows if I have a longer or shorter chain. For the show tomorrow I am bringing some extra chain and pliers, but I am kinda currious how the majority of people like to wear necklaces. So go vote!!

Personally it depends on what I am wearing that day. Some necklaces just don't work with certain clothes. That is also why I have made a ton of necklace extenders that I will be bringing to the show tomorrow. They have been in my shop for a while and people like them so I hope they do well tomorrow.

Signed By Me

I have started to sign each piece of jewellery by adding a small tag to the clasp. I have hand stamped the initials SM for Sleepy Moon on each one. So far these tags are only on a couple of necklace, but eventually they will be on all Sleepy Moon necklaces.

I think these tags will ad an extra personal touch reminding the wearer that someone made this piece of jewellery and it is not just one of the million necklaces sold on Etsy or at a store... it is a necklace made by me! (Sleepy Moon)

My Creativity Song

Scoutie Girls latest blog post is "Tunes That Get Your Creative Juices Flowing" She asks us all to share the songs that really get us into a creative mood. So I thought I would share this song by Natalie Walker. It's one of those songs that you just have to sing along with. It is also very calming and I just love working with it on. I came across this song while checking out a fellow Vancouver jewellery designers website and I couldn't stop listening. Check out the video above to hear the song quicksand.



I have to include this video and song too! It's called Artsy by The Grouch... You have to listen to it! I love hip hop for creative inspiration. There is something about the beat that energizes me and makes me create beautiful things!!

If I were... I'd Be...

If I were a month I’d be September.

If I were a day I’d be Wednesday.

If I were a time of day I’d be Midnight.

If I were a planet I’d be Pluto.

If I were a sea animal I’d be a Seahorse.

If I were a direction I’d be Turn right after you see the muffin shaped rock, walk 14 steps and turn left. Now your there!

If I were a tree I’d be a Ginkgo Tree.

If I were a piece of furniture I’d be an Adirondack chair.

If I were a liquid I’d be Iced Tea.

If I were a gemstone I’d be Moonstone, Kyanite or Ruby.

If I were a tool I’d be a drill.
(Makes everything so much easier)

If I were a flower I’d be a snap dragon.

If I were an element of weather I’d be the sun.

If I were a musical instrument I’d be a violin.

If I were a color I'd be puple.

If I were an emotion I’d be calm.

If I were a fruit I’d be a strawberry.
(They are sweet, a little bit sour and can always satisfy a craving for something yummy.)

If I were a sound I’d be the sound of my son laughing.

If I were an element I'd be fire.

If I were a car I’d be a bike.

If I were a food I’d be middle eastern, indian or sushi.

If I were a material I'd be silk.


If I were a place I’d be the urban jungle.

If I were a song I’d be about life.

If I were a bird I'd be an eagle.

If I were a taste I’d be sweet and sour.

If I were a scent I’d be vanilla or grapefruit.

If I were a body part I’d be eyes.

If I were a gift I'd be wrapped in 10 layers of paper.

If I were a city I'd be Vancouver.

If I were a door I'd be a red door.

If I were a pair of shoes I’d be any and every colour of flats.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and learning a little bit more about me and what I would be if I were... I got this idea from the envedesigns blog where she had done a similar post. I enjoyed reading it so much and I thought it would be fun to do one of my own. So make sure you check out her "If I were... I'd Be..." post. And if you do one of your own make sure to let me know so I can come over and read it!

Also... all the items and photos in this post are linked to items on Etsy so make sure you take a look-c.

A New Look, Oxidized Metals

I have really been into the look of oxidized sterling silver lately. It fits right in with the dreamy and mysterious style of Sleepy Moon jewellery. I have many plans for the close future using oxidized silver in mixed metal jewellery. Actually there is a couple designs already in my etsy shop.

At the last art and fashion market I did, a lady asked me what the black chain was. When I told her she said "Hey, that is cool! So I guess I can just stop polishing my silver jewellery?" Well in a perfect world maybe, but it wouldn't get that solid black look like it does when using the proper methods. Although when you buy oxidized sterling silver jewellery you get the same benefits of sterling silver with no polishing necessary!! That sounds just as good to me!

Actually when I oxidize the jewellery I make I don't have to go through the very long process of polishing all the silver before a art and fashion market or even every time I make a sale. Which makes me happy! :)

Are They Coming Back From The Dead??

So, the other day I was at the mall and I saw a lady in a full-on purple track suit. You know those ugly two piece velour suits? I thought to myself... "Wow, I haven't seen one of those in awhile!" At least not worn as a full put-together suit. *cringes* So I went on with my day and suddenly I started seeing more people wearing them.. teal, pink, orange!! eek! Was it bring-out-the-old-stuff from-your-closet-day at the mall? I don't know, but I am scared. I remember seeing way too many of those when I was in grade 7, living in Montreal. All the "cool kids" wore them.

So I ask you... was this just a Sunday at the mall coincidence? Or are the velour track suits making there way back out of the closets graveyards?

Crystal Chandelier

I saw this commercial a while back and it was one of the very few commercials that actually stopped me from doing whatever I was doing and watch it. Now I can't stop thinking about it.



So why can't I stop thinking about it. Because I LOVE the last frame! Where the little boy looks out the sunroof and see's the big crystal chandelier hanging in the forest. I think it is so pretty. Yeah I know its a car commercial, but I thought it reminded me of what I pictured when I came up with the name Sleepy Moon. Like a mysterious, dreamy and romantic fairy tale.

Inspiration Through a Macro Lense

There is nothing like a huge new lot of gemstones! I love to be inspired by their uniqueness, their colour and their beauty. The proccess of figuring out how to use them in a design is therapeutic. Finding the perfect way to hang them from a chain or earring is an art form and finding balance between delicateness and strength is like putting together an ever changing puzzle.

Most of the time I will have several projects in the works at one time. When I get stumped with one I can move onto the next and come back later when I have had time to gather my thoughts. Sometimes what started out as one thing ends up being something totally different, I like to just let the creative process flow.
The photos you have seen in this post are of my work table from a bit of a different perspective. These are the things that inspire me and make how I work unique.